How to make the perfect cup of coffee at home
As the COVID-19 pandemic is sweeping the entire world, it’s getting essential day by day to learn how to make a good cup of coffee. We have prepared this list of 10 tips you should follow to enjoy the best homemade coffee. It doesn’t matter which tool or coffee you have at home.
The first thing is to have the necessary materials, most of you will have an Italian coffee maker or a filter coffee machine, but there are infinite methods to make coffee. These methods will be decisive when choosing coffee, yet they have more in common than we think. So here’s the first tip:
1. Choosing your Coffee
You must know, there are great varieties and types of coffee, differentiated by origin, blend percentages, grinding level, roasting profiles, etc… That is why it is important to anticipate the machine with which we will prepare the coffee and thus obtain the desired flavours.
For example, if you are preparing the coffee with a filter method such as a V60 or CHEMEX, it would be advisable to use coffees such as RWANDAN single origin, it is a light roast coffee, 100% Rwandan origin, with a flavour profile with notes of high acidity, very fruity and touches of flowers. Designed for those who want to try a different coffee.
An excellent 2nd option could be PURANGO, which blends coffee beans from RWANDA with Costa Rica, thus achieving a profile of sweeter flavour’s, with notes of toffee and tropical fruits.
On the other hand, if you want to prepare a slightly balanced coffee, in a Moka Pot type coffee maker or in a French Press, we recommend using MESTIZO, whose flavour profile coming from a medium roast can offer notes of roasted nuts with some touches of blueberries.
Or an even dark roast option would be our CACTUS blend, which combines coffees from Peru and Mexico, offering a coffee loaded with notes of dark chocolate and roasted nuts.
(If you need more help to choose your coffee do not hesitate to write us in our comments section)
As you can see there are lots of options available. Each type of coffee brings a series of flavours and each machine has its own characteristics. You must choose well the type that you want according to the flavour’s that you are looking for and the method of elaboration that you have at home.
2. If you can, Buy Coffee Bean
We understand that buying coffee beans is not the easiest thing since you must grind it at home, but trust this the results will be phenomenal, you won’t ever switch back to instant coffee. Also, this helps to ensure the conservation of the freshness of the coffee. Did you know that 60% of the aroma of coffee disappears in the first 15 minutes of grinding? We all know that the aroma of coffee is one of its key qualities.
3. Always Buy Fresh Coffee
The freshness of the coffee is key to enjoy all its flavour and aroma. That’s why it’s very important to try to buy fresh coffee. At Java Republic, we roast, blend and package the coffee on the same day and thus ensure the highest quality of the product. We always suggest consuming the roasted coffee 1 or 2 weeks ago and maximum until 4 months to be able to guarantee its flavour profile. You can buy our most popular coffee profiles from our online shop.
4. Adjust the Grinding Point
If you have a grinder at home, it is important that you know how to use it. Every coffee has a grinding point that will depend on how you are going to use it. For a conventional Italian coffee maker, the most usual is a fine grind, in the case of a filtered coffee the coffee should have a medium grind and if you use a French press the coffee should be coarse grinded.
Those of you who have automatic machines should adjust the machine according to the instructions of the machine itself, don’t forget to check. Many of you will not have a grinder, so you should follow the first advice: choose the type of coffee well according to how it will be prepared.
5. Know the Water Quality
Using quality water is very important as it could contaminate the flavour’s of the coffee. If you know that the tap water at home is not the best, we recommend that you use mineral water to brew your coffee for two reasons: it will affect the taste of the coffee and it will clog up the coffee maker over time. For example, Java Republic coffee machines always have integrated water filters.
6. Get the Proportions right
If you have a scale at home to weigh the coffee, it’ll do us good. Italian coffee makers should be filled with ground coffee pressed with a spoon, then the leftovers should be removed. In the case of filtered coffee or the French press, they usually have their own instructions, these will depend on the amount of coffee that we use. It is advisable to use 16g of coffee per 0.4L of water. We recommend using 60g for every litre of water, that is to say, 15g for 250ml of water.
7. Enjoy the taste soon after it’s prepared
You should NEVER leave coffee for later as the coffee will lose taste, body and aroma as it loses temperature. Just forget about that coffee that rests forever on the table and ends up being heated in the microwave. Of course, except for Cold Brews and iced coffees.
8. Get the Milk Temperature Correct
For all those who drink coffee with milk flat whites, latte, cappuccino this point will be very important. Today there are more and more types of milk: soy, almond, lactose free, whole, etc. From Java Republic we recommend using fresh whole milk as its body ideally complements the flavour of the coffee.
If you wish to froth the milk, the first thing to do is to heat it in the microwave or in a pot according to convenience and the second thing to do is to beat it to emulsify it. To froth it can can raise and lower the French press several times or use a fork for the emulsion, this will allow you to increase the volume and cream of the milk.
9. Take care of the Coffee and the Machine
If we want to enjoy a good coffee every day, it is essential to close and isolate our coffee bag correctly after use to avoid loss of aroma and quality. You must not forget to clean the machine after each use as residues can remain in it and spoil the taste of our next coffee.
10. Enjoy your Coffee!
The last step remaining to do is to enjoy this beautiful creation of coffee you made, grab a book and bask in the luxury. From Java Republic we want to send you all our encouragement and patience with the times. We will continue trying to make your stay at home more enjoyable, educational and hopefully by the end of this you will emerge as an expert home barista and a good cup of coffee.
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